STOCKHOLM – Matt Mitrione was worried that a third straight loss might have him looking for work elsewhere. So much for that.

Mitrione made short work of Philip De Fries, scoring a quick and devastating knockout in the first-round to snap a two-fight skid.

The heavyweight bout was part of the main card of today’s UFC on FUEL TV 9 event at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. It aired on FUEL TV following prelims on Facebook.

De Fries, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, quickly shot for a takedown in the first 10 seconds of the fight. But Mitrione sprawled out it with relative ease. The two reset, and that might be the last thing De Fries remembers of the fight.

When De Fries moved in again looking for a second takedown attempt, he ran right into Mitrione, a former NFL defensive lineman. The force of Mitrione coming forward knocked De Fries to the canvas, and that was about to be the end of his night.

Mitrione quickly was on top of De Fries, and he landed a pair of elbows, then a five-punch combination that had De Fries unconscious as referee Marc Goddard got in to shut things down just 19 seconds into the fight.

“I’m a developing talent,” Mitrione said. “I was out for a long time, so I appreciate the UFC giving me this fight. We were supposed to have it before, so I really appreciate everything. The UFC has been great to me, and it’s the only show I’ve ever been in. Whoever they think is appropriate for me to get down with, let’s get down.”

Mitrione (6-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) snapped a two-fight skid that saw him lose a decision to Cheick Kongo and suffer the first stoppage loss of his pro career with a knockout setback against Roy Nelson in December. De Fries (9-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) now has dropped two straight and three of his past four – all first-round knockout losses.